System of ventilation for railway-cars.



N0. 799,984. PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905. L. J. HARRIS. SYSTEM 0F VENTILATION FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15. 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mouw. s Gamm a4 mmmumoumrnans. wlsmncwl, DV L PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

L. J. HARRIS. SYSTEM 0I' VENTILATION FOR RAILWAY CARS,v

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15. 1901.

4 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

munsw av GRAHAM ca., PmmM-mosmvums. wAsMmsmn. D c.

5. O 9 l 9.. .l L P E s D E T N E T A P S I R R A H T... T... am 8 Ow g 9 7 0. N

SYSTEM 0I' VENTILATION IOR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION-FILED JAN. 15. 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 No. 799,984. PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905. L. J. HARRIS.

SYSTEM 0E VENTILATION POR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED M1145. 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

munsw. s. GRAHAM Pworwmwnummins. msmnnon. n, c.

NITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed January 15, 1901. Serial No. 43,346.

T0 n/ZZ whom/ t WMU] concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIn J. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Ventilation for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention comprises a new system of ventilation for railway cars by means of which a copious supply of fresh air, entirely free from cinders, dust, and smoke, is introduced into the car.

My invention comprises improved means for supplying a current of air free -from smoke, dust, cinders,and other impurities at properlyregulated temperatures to the interior of the car, and is characterized by certain novel and useful features which contribute to the complete and satisfactory solution of this problem, all of which will be set forth in this specication and will be particularly defined in the appended claims. These and other features of my invention will be clearly explained and defined in this specification and the claims hereto annexed.

Referring now to the drawings, in which I have illustrated one of the various modes of practicing my invention, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation through the main body of the car, showing the arrangement of longitudinal air iiues for distributing the purified air. Fig. -2 is a side elevation of the car-body, a part of the side wall being broken away to show the interior of the air-well and the passages for the admission of air. Fig. 3 is a plan viewpof the floor of the car, the air fiues or passages being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the filtering-box. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken through the air-inlet well on about the plane indicated by broken line 4 4 in Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig.

6 is a plan View of theiiltering-card. Fig. 7,

is a vertical sectional view of the Hlteringbox, the card being removed. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the filtering-box.

In the present instance 1 have shown my Ventilating system applied to a car having berth-pockets beneath the floor of the type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 403,265, granted to me May 14, 1889; but it will be understood that the principles of my invention are applicable to other constructions of cars by adapting suitable modifications to suit the requirements in each case.

As herein shown, the car-body is provided with two longitudinal air ues or passages a beneath the central portion of the fioor of the car. To afford ventilation for the berthpockets A, which are compartments below the level of the car-floor, into which the berthtrays may be lowered, the car may also be provided with longitudinal flues a next the outside wall of the car. Suitable gratings or openings for the passage of air from the flues into the compartments 4of the car may be used, as indicated at a2 as. In the car and preferably near one end thereof is formed a narrow vertical passage b. Above this passage b is arranged a double scoop c, located upon the roof of the car and having two passages c c2 for scooping in the outside air when the car is in motion. The scoop is made double in order that it may scoop in the air with equal facility when the car is moving in either direction. The intake-passages c c2 lead directly into the main air-chamber said chamber being in the form of an air-well lying between two vertical partitions b* b5. The bottom of the air-chamber I) is provided with a small orifice, as shown at Zn', whose superficial area should be very much less than the superficial area of the intake-passage, so as to create a which is placed a separator or air-filter, as

shown in Fig. 4. As herein shown, this filter comprises arectangular box B, provided with a large opening in each side corresponding approximately to the size of the-opening 62 in the side wall of the air-well. This opening may be partly obstructed or closed by means of fine wire screens el, set in removable frames d. erably perforated and is also provided with a large number of wires cl3, which are preferably set at an oblique angle and which project downward nearly to the bottom of the box B, this top resembling somewhat in construction an enormous card,'such asis used in the manufacture of woolen cloth. The wires cl3 are set so that they incline away from the inlet side of the box in order that their tend- The top d2 of the box B is pref- IOO IIO

ency may be to deflect downward toward the bottom of the box any particles that may pass through the screen (Z. rIhe bottom portion of the box is made to form a tank or reservoir for containing water. -l/Vater may be constantly supplied to this tank by being allowed to drip from some point above, as from the ice-box (ZG, onto the top (Z2 of the box, the perforations in said top allowing the water to trickle down the wires and keep them constantly moist. For economys sake and for other reasons as well the ice-box carried in the car may be placed above the liltering-box, as shown at (ZG, so that the drip from the ice-water will fall upon the top of the box and pass into its interior.

The mode of operation of my Ventilating system will be readily understood. The constricted outlet-orifice b .of the air-well b is so mitted through the intake-passages, it being.

arranged so that the momentum of these particles passing from the top to the bottom of the car tends to hurl them through the said outlet b. This action may be still further assisted by locating an exhaust device directly beneath the outlet-opening I find that it is not necessary to add any device especially designed for this purpose` as the carwheel itself is capable of producing this effect; but of course I do not limit myself to the use of the car-wheel for this purpose, as any suitable device may be employed. In the drawings I have indicated the car-wheel e placed directly bene-ath the aperture By diminishing the size of the outlet and arranging it as above explained by far the greater portion of the foreign bodies are removed from the air through the outlet-passage b. The back pressure produced in the air well or chamber on account of the relatively small size of the outlet-orifice causes the air to.

force its way into the air-filtering box or off'- take B through the screen (l. Any small particle of soot or dust that then remains is caught by thc moist wires Z3 and deflected downward to the water-tank of the box. rIhe air passing through the maze of wires Z3 will be found to be completely purified not only from coarse particles, but theiinerimpalpable dust and soot as well. This purified air then passes through the offtake-screen d and enters one of the longitudinal flues a', at which point it divides, a part of the air branching olf and flowing through the transverse passage a to the other longitudinal distributing-fines.. The back pressure produced in the air-well owing to the comparatively small outlet at the bottom and the rapid motion of the car will be found sufficient to maintain a quick circulation of clean fresh air through these air-lines and their openings. By carrying' the air-currents through the outside or lateral passages a as well as through the middle passages a the ventilation of the berth-pockets is fully assured, since these outside passages c have all their outlets communicating with said berthpockets. The circulation for the main compartment or interior of the car containing the passengers is furnished through the openings c, leading from the middle passages or lines ce. The steam-pipes which are used for heating in the car may be led through these air-fines a at', so as to warm the air to the desired temperature before introducing it to the main compartments of the car. In warm weather whenthe steam heat is not required the cold drip-water from the ice-chest serves to materiallycool the air below its normal outside temperature. It will therefore be seen that by means of myimproved ventilating system Ican not only raise the temperature of the air taken in, but can also lower the same to suit the comfort of the occupants of the car.

It will be obvious that very considerable changes may be made both in the construction of parts and in their relative arrangement t0 produce the desired results.

Without attempting then to set forth all the variations in form, construction, and arrangement which may be made in the practice of my invention or all the uses to which it may be applied, what I claim is*- 4 l. The combination of the air well or passage provided with a relatively large air-inlet passage and a relatively small outlet-passage for the escape of dust or cinders, an exhaust device arranged adjacent to the outlet-passage, the air-distributing Hue, and an ofltake lead.- ing from the air-well to the air-distributing flue, substantially as described.

2. Ina railway-car the combination of a vertical air-well, intake-passages arranged to convey the outside air to said air-well, said airwell being provided with a relatively small outlet at its bottom and being also provided with a lateral offtake at its side, air-passages extending longitudinally of the car beneath the middle portion of the car-floor, provided with a series of openings for admitting air into the main compartment of the car, aseries of berth-pockets on either side of said air-passages, supplemental air-passages extending longitudinally of the car near the sides thereof and having communication with the outer sides of therespective berth-pockets, said longitudinal passages all having communication with the aforesaid lateral olftake formed in the side of the air-well, substantially as described.

8. A railway-car provided with a series of berth-pockets arranged on each side of the cai: below'the floor-level, longitudinal air-fines provided with heating-pipes arranged between two series of berth-pockets centrally of the car, supplemental air-lines arranged on the outside of the berth-pockets in communication with said berth-pockets and containing IOO series of air-passages extendinglongitudinally between the series of berth-pockets, supplemental air-passages arranged outside of the berth-pockets communicating therewith,v

means for introducing air to the interior of the car, means for purifying and regulating the temperature of said air, and means forforcing the purified and tempered air under I5 pressure through the said longitudinal airlines, substantially as described.

Y In witness whereofl I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of January, 1901.

LOUIE J. HARRIS.

In presence of-` 1 W. MYRoN REYNOLDS, J. D. SINCLAIR. 

